AFTER POINTING OUT THAT THE CITY OF TEL-AVIV CONTAINS POCKETS OF SIGNIFICANT SOCIAL PROBLEMS AND THAT ITS CRIME RATE IS THE HIGHEST IN ISRAEL, THE ARTICLE EXAMINES THE FACTORS BEHIND THE CONCENTRATION OF CRIME IN THE CENTRAL DISTRICT OF THE CITY AND THE HIGH ADULT RECIDIVISM RATE. BETWEEN 1961 AND 1972 THE POPULATION OF THE METROPOLITAN AREA OF TEL-AVIV ROSE 33 PERCENT, COMPARED TO 29 PERCENT FOR HAIFA, THE SECOND LARGEST METROPOLITAN AREA. THIS RAPID URBANIZATION HAS BROUGHT WITH IT A LARGE NUMBER OF FAMILIES RECEIVING SOCIAL WELFARE, CROWDING, AND OTHER PROBLEMS. DATA ON INCOME, URBANIZATION, AND RECIDIVISM RATES AMONG JEWISH ADULTS IN TEL-AVIV AND YAFFO ARE GIVEN IN TABULAR FORM. THE TEL-AVIV METROPOLITAN AREA IS THEN COMPARED TO THE OTHER MAJOR POPULATION CENTERS. MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS IS USED TO DETERMINE A HIERARCHY OF URBAN AREAS OF 5,000 POPULATION OR MORE. SCALED ACCORDING TO A 'SOCIAL PROBLEM INDEX.' THIS INDEX INCORPORATES SIX CRIME RATE AND SOCIOECONOMIC VARIABLES. TABLES PRESENT THESE FACTORS AND RANKINGS OF VARIOUS COMMUNITIES ACCORDING TO THESE FACTORS. EILAT, TEL-AVIV, AND GIV'ATAYIM HAVE THE FEWEST SOCIAL PROBLEMS PER CAPITA WHILE BEIT SHEMESH, SHDEROT, AND OR AKIVA (ALL NEW TOWNS) HAVE THE MOST. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT WHILE TEL-AVIV'S GROSS CRIME RATES ARE HIGH, PER CAPITA RATES ARE ACTUALLY LOW. REFERENCES ARE APPENDED. (GLR)